Employers expect employees to be team players. Teamwork is required for almost every industry, ranging from business solutions to information technology to food services. This is true even if it seems like your job is best suited for an independent worker. You may perform the bulk of your job duties alone, but you should be able to think of your work in the context of the company’s broader goals and communicate your accomplishments to other people within the organization. Learn what teamwork skills are, types and examples of teamwork skills, and ways to develop your skills.
What Are Teamwork Skills?
Teamwork skills involve your ability to work cooperatively with others. Regardless of your role, you need to be able to work well with others and convey your teamwork skills to hiring managers, recruiters, and prospective employers. Scan any job listing, and you’ll see that even ads that seek “self-starters” also inevitably use the phrase “team player.” Those who have teamwork skills like communication, collaboration, leadership, and a positive attitude can help a team be more productive.
Alternate Names: cooperation, collaboration
Examples of Teamwork Skills
Here are some examples of on-the-job teamwork skills:
Working as part of a team to achieve company goals.Working well and developing effective relationships with diverse personalities.Developing and maintaining good relationships with co-workers and managers.Maintaining open lines of communication with others.Observing and coaching other employees.Assisting with training.Leading, Influencing, motivating, and persuading others to achieve goals.Looking for ways to help others and provide assistance.Showing interest in others and their concerns.Dealing with a wide range of people with flexibility and open-mindedness.Listening to and considering the viewpoint of others.
Types of Teamwork Skills
There are a variety of different teamwork skills, but they are all related to your ability to engage and work well with others. Being a successful member of a team requires excellent communication, listening, and conflict management skills. Below is a list of the most important teamwork skills that employers seek in candidates.
Communication
Being a good team member means clearly communicating your ideas with the group. You must be able to convey information via phone, email, video, and in person. You want to make sure your tone is always professional but friendly. Both verbal and nonverbal communication are important when working within a group setting.
Advising Collaboration Contributing Coordination Creativity Creative Thinking Give Feedback Goal Setting Guidance Influencing Language Management Persuading Research Team Management Teaching Verbal Communication Visual Communication Written Communication
Conflict Management
An important teamwork skill is being able to mediate problems between team members. You need to be able to negotiate with your team members to settle disputes and make sure everyone is happy with the team’s choices.
Collaborative Conflict Management Cooperation Critical Thinking Defining Problems Empathy Flexibility High Emotional Intelligence Leadership Listening Logic Logical Argument Logical Thinking Mediation Negotiating Problem Solving Team Building Team Building Activities
Listening
Another important part of communication is listening. You must be able to listen to the ideas and concerns of your peers to be an effective team member. By asking questions for clarification, demonstrating concern, and using nonverbal cues, you can show your team that you care and that you understand their ideas or concerns.
Active Listening Ask Clarifying Questions Attentive Critical Thinking Eye Contact Give Feedback Group Decision Making Hearing Concerns Interpreting Listening Nonverbal Communication Open Mind Patience Relaxed Receive Feedback Summarize
Reliability
You want to be a reliable team member so that your co-workers can trust you with time-sensitive tasks and company information. Make sure you stick to deadlines and complete any assigned work. This will help you gain your colleagues’ trust.
Commitment Community Building Confidence Confidence Building Dependability Flexibility Helpfulness Honesty Leadership Multitasking Participation Perform Tasks Responsibility Team Oriented Task Management Trust
Respectfulness
People will be more open to communicating with you if you convey respect for them and their ideas. Simple actions like using a person’s name, making eye contact, and actively listening when a person speaks will make your team members feel appreciated.
Acknowledging Others Encouragement Expanding Ideas Interpersonal Motivation Opinion Exchange Oral Communication Patience Positive Attitude Relationship Building Sensitivity Sharing Credit Support Team Player Tact Understanding Feelings Value Diversity
More Teamwork Skills
Here are additional teamwork skills for resumes, cover letters, job applications, and interviews.
Ability to Build RapportAccountabilityCreativeDecision MakingDelegatingEncouragingInfluentialInnovativeInstinctualOrganizingPersuasiveProject ManagementProject PlanningReceiving FeedbackPresentationRespectSelf-AwarenessSupportiveTime ManagementTrustworthy
Highlight Your Most Relevant Skills
When you’re applying for jobs, be sure to emphasize the specific skills that are mentioned in the job description, but feel free to round out your application by mentioning others that may apply. HIGHLIGHT SKILLS IN YOUR COVER LETTER: You can incorporate soft skills into your cover letter. Include one or two of the skills mentioned in this article and give specific examples of instances when you demonstrated these traits at work. USE SKILL WORDS DURING JOB INTERVIEWS: Keep the top skills listed here in mind during your interview, and be prepared to give examples of how you’ve used each skill.
